Works will soon start on a new bus lane in Pietà and while the transport authority is insisting this will improve traffic congestion residents fear it will make the area unsafe.
Through the new project, planned to start in the coming weeks, the service roads along Triq Ix-Xatt will be embellished and converted into a bus lane.
Buses driving along the Pietà seafront, in the direction of Msida, will use the lane leading to the Msida bus stop.
A Transport Malta spokesman said the project was important as it would alleviate traffic in the area and give priority to route buses, reducing journey times.
Route buses will no longer use lanes designated for general traffic.
Buses would pass less than a metre from their homes
However, Pietà resident Marcus Muscat-Baron told Times of Malta residents were concerned about safety because buses would be passing less than a metre away from their home entrances.
“Our main concern with this development is the safety of residents and any pedestrians using this stretch of road.
“This is particularly worrying considering the high concentration of elderly people using this part of the pavement to access shops and the bank,” he said.
He added that residents, whose apartments or houses were situated along Triq Ix-Xatt, felt misled. Before the election they were told the project was dropped.
Then, in February, they received a leaflet from the local council indicating that the bus lane project would go ahead.Transport Malta is insisting the project is safe.
It will be based on a “shared space” concept that will minimise demarcations between traffic and pedestrians along the bus lane.
Vehicles allowed in the lane will be restricted to route buses, service vehicles and residents’ cars and a speed limit of 30 kilometres per hour would be set, the spokesman said. No existing on-street parking would be removed and existing trees will be retained.
Mr Muscat-Baron said the shared space concept meant the bus lane and pavement would be at the same level. The only barrier between their homes and the buses would be bollards.
“For long lengths of the bus lane development, the unimpeded access for pedestrians will be estimated at less than a metre wide, which is already much less than the 1.2-metre width recommended by the National Commission Persons with Disability,” he said, adding that residents had not been involved in project discussions.
The Transport Malta spokes-man said the EU-funded project had never been suspended (before the election).
In July 2012, the council had sent a list of concerns raised by residents following consultation.
The bollards were intended to meet such concerns, the spokesman said.
“Pedestrian access will be safe and adequate throughout the shared space and a pedestrian railing will be installed between the designed parking bays [under the trees] and the main carriageway of Triq ix-Xatt to ensure safety.”